Disclaimer: The Fate series is owned by Type-Moon. Code Geass is an animated series owned by Sunrise. I do not own any of the characters mentioned here.
This is a rewrite of the original Fate: Accel Geass by Dante Crailman with his permission.
August 10, 2010 a.t.b
The date and the year in which the Holy Empire of Britannia declared war on Japan. The island country in the Far East that had maintained neutrality and the world's only superpower, Britannia. Between them existed an ongoing diplomatic conflict that had resulted from the resources in Japan. During the mainland battle, the Britannia army used the Mobile Humanoid Combat Armored Knight, the KnightMare Frame for the first time in combat.
Their power was beyond anything imagined, the defense lines formed to protect mainland Japan were breached one after another. Japan became a territory of the Empire and had its name, rights and freedom taken away
Area 11, which was the new name given to her. Elevens, which was the new name given to the Japanese people. Despite the valiant efforts done by the government which was led by Prime Minister, Genbu Kururugi, to take back her freedom... it was all been for naught. His death lowered the morale of the Japanese and the Knightmare Frames proved to be the future of human warfare.
The discrimination was scattered all around, every Britannian citizen lived in wealth as opposed to the Japanese who were left to rot. Rebellions eventually rise only for them to be taken down without a tinge of mercy.
"The weak have no place in this world! Only the strong and the resolute ones are worthy enough to live and lavish themselves!"
The concept of Darwinism, the Holy Emperor himself believed in such as well as the aristocracy. Thus, they are not afraid to trample upon the weak Elevens, forcing them to work on projects where most Britannians will benefit. As for the Elevens, they can only hold on to the hope that someone would take a stand against the suffering and the oppression they're enduring for a long time now.
How does it feel to be oppressed? In all truth, even he doesn't know, the only thing that is close to that is when he saw how his adopted father, Kiritsugu Emiya was killed while protecting him against the soldiers of Britannia.
He has no recollection of who he was when the mercenary adopted him. The one thing that he did remember is his name.
Shirou.
At that time, he began a new life as his adopted son, he became an Emiya and he was happy, knowing that he had someone to call as a family. However, that also didn't last when the Holy Empire of Britannia declared war on their country. He also saw their existence... the KnightMare Frames.
True to their names, these machines destroyed every front line that the government built. The city of Fuyuki didn't fare well against the more sophisticated machinery of the enemy. Once they softened the aerial and ground forces, their own units will sweep the rest of the area.
He can still remember it... no... it permanently scarred his mind.
Kiritsugu's lifeless body, the gunshots and the screams of everyone being slaughtered regardless if they surrender or not. As a child that was left alone all by himself, he felt that he should have been with them. Perhaps, if he had the power to protect them... he could have prevented such tragedy to happen.
Back then, he was far too young to understand the concept of it, however as time goes by, he ultimately learned that power itself could save and bring destruction to oneself. Still, he yearned to have one despite having none and if he had one... he can protect those around him especially his new friends.
Ashford Academy, 07:00 A.M, 2017 a.t.b
"I need to buy some supplies after class. Cécile's gonna need to eat more after they finish the final preparations for the Lancelot." He muttered to himself as he continued to trudge the path towards the outer buildings.
Shirou Emiya had different opinions on Brittanians, the likes of Cécile Croomy and her superior, Lloyd Asplund and the rest of the Student Council never shown any sort of discomfort around him. They never saw him as an Eleven but they treated him like a normal person would do. The only thing that he hated is how the Purists, the ones who came from the mainland, treat him and his people as if they're some random garbage on a corner.
Even he had a handful of insults from a few Brittanian students but he couldn't care more or less. He was thankful for Cécile for many things, as she became a family to him regardless of his nationality.
"Hey there, young man!" a voice call out to him and he momentarily observe the surrounding booth.
'Throne of Heroes?' Shirou mused as the owner of said booth gave a dazzling smile to him.
"Do you want power, young man?" the owner seemed to be aesthetically pleasing though it was suspicious on how he managed to build a booth inside the campus.
"Is it some form of magic or something?"
"Well, there's only one way to find out! Pick a card that suits your fancy!" the owner sprawled out seven cards before him. As much as he wanted to arrive early at his classes, maybe he can skip it. Even the Vice President of the Student Council was sleeping during classes.
"I guess, I have time to indulge with you."
"A good choice, young man! Now then, introductions first, you may call me by the name of Zelretch." the owner stretched his hands in greeting and he met his hand.
"Emiya Shirou, say... did you come from E.U?" Shirou asked since the owner's name suggested that he came from the European Union.
"Hohoho, my origins are not of importance right now. It's all about you and my offer here in the Throne of Heroes!" Zelretch chuckled before going back to the cards. "First of all, what is justice for you?"
"Justice? I think it's a beautiful word for people who have an innocent viewpoint of the world. However, for the likes of us Elevens, we don't find it as such. Those who are in power manipulate it for their own gain." Shirou declared and it seemed to earn him a few nods from Zelretch.
"You're speaking from experience, eh? I see, interesting indeed," the old man mumbled as the redhead looked around, watching out for any student that might notice them. "Going back on the topic on hand. What do you think is the class of this one?" he pointed at the first card with a knight holding a drawn claymore in a readied stance.
"With that sword, it's already a giveaway. Its Saber."
"Correct! But anyone could have guessed that! Anywho... this class is proficient with melee weapons mainly swords. Can you give me a historical figure that was known for their swordsmanship?"
Shirou pondered for a moment and contemplated on whom to answer, is it King Arthur or Sasaki Kojirou? With a sigh, he replied to Zelretch. "Sasaki Kojirou."
"Oh my, for a moment, I really thought that you're gonna say 'King Arthur'! That just means that you don't diversify yourself in one culture and you look for others." That was actually the one that he could come up that is known like King Arthur here in Japan.
"Yes, the one who mastered the art of killing a swallow by trapping it into a three-way attack. Even though he is not that known, his legend still lives in the hearts of Japanese people." Shirou said.
"Indeed, that's quite an achievement if I must say. Moving on to the next since we still have six cards that are yet to be introduced." Zelretch handed over the Saber card to Shirou who shone under the beam of the sunlight. "Here is the Lancer card, very agile warriors and proficient with long-range melee weapons such as spears and lances." the card shines again when the owner handed it to him.
"This one might also suit you, the Archer card!"
"Eh? I'm not really that good with archery." Shirou reminisced the last time that he operated an anti-material rifle for a Sutherland... he got a handful of nagging from Cécile afterwards.
"Is that so? Most of your counterparts are compatible with this card, you'll get used to this sooner." the redhead rose an eyebrow because of Zelretch's words. Counterparts and compatible? What is this guy blabbering about?
"We're finished with the three Knight classes and the next ones are the least known classes amongst the others."
"Let me guess, this is like a magician card or something?" Shirou grabbed what seemed to be a cloaked old man holding a book of some kind and giving off a very wise aura.
"They're called Casters for the record," Zelretch commented who is a bit irritated by his words. "They are masters of the arcane arts; none of the people in this era is capable of doing such because you're too diversified to do mundane magic."
"You're saying as if magic is real."
"Who's giving the lectures here, kid! It's me so just keep quiet and I will indulge in your questions after the lesson, alright!"
Shirou rose his hands in resignation and let the owner finish on his rants. He checked his watch and it looks like he still has enough time before classes begin.
"Perhaps you might be interested in this, the Rider class card. Just as the name it implies, they can ride almost anything ranging from mundane vehicles like cartwheels up to the highest order such as dragons and divine beings."
"So with this, I can control almost any vehicles like a Sutherland? That's pretty neat." While he is not that good of a pilot, Earl of Pudding took interest in making him the Devicer of the Lancelot. Something that he's still thinking of accepting or not since there are still others taking the exams.
"If you ever felt the need of doing stealth missions, then the Assassin is a good choice too. Their ability to hide in the shadows is exceptional, but the problem is that they are not good in confrontations." Zelretch gave him the card where a masked man is suspended in the air.
"Last but certainly the most dangerous of all is the Berserker. Heroes who gone insane and full of rage or bloodlust."
The set of cards was in his hands now. Saber, Archer, Lancer, Caster, Rider, Assassin and Berserker. The man's words were rather convincing as if he had done it several times. Being the logical man he is, there was simply no convincing of him to believe everything the geezer told him if there's no proof that these cards actually work.
'It's weird… I've never been this bothered ever since choosing to become an Honorary Britannian.'
"Shirou!" a voice called out his name as the slim figure of a female student catch up to him. Her long and bright orange hair is tied together in a ponytail, which reached down her hips.
"Ah, Shirley, your early," Shirou greeted back, still holding the cards in his hand.
Shirley Fenette, a cheerful, caring, highly intelligent, outgoing and extroverted member of the Swimming Club, Student Council and has top grades in her class at Ashford Academy. "I can say the same to you, who are you talking to anyway?"
"I'm just talking with someone…" the booth of the old man is gone! It's like disappeared without a trace! His raised hands and speechless gesture aside, he was confused as well.
"Shirou? Are you alright?" Shirley asked in concern.
"Yeah, I guess the weather's got me." he wave her concerns off, not wanting to bother her with his delusions. He immediately packed the cards in his pockets.
"You should be careful not to get sick."
"I appreciate the thought, Shirley." Shirou checked in his wristwatch for the time. "Guess we need to go now."
"Let's go together then!" the girl said as she leads the way.
"Are you sure? Rumors may start buzz around if any students see us together, you know? Besides, you should be spending time to garner Lelouch's attention."
"It's fine since…" Her face turns into red at the mention of the Vice President's name. "Lulu has nothing to do here!"
Shirou chuckled under his breath at her response. Much like him and the rest of Student Council knew that Shirley has a thing for Lelouch. The young man himself was unaware of the girl's feelings which can make up for more awkward moments between them.
"I suggest taking a more direct approach to him. How many girls do you think likes him, huh? By the time you knew it, he might be dating one without us knowing it."
"You think so? I don't know how he will react if I confess to him," she said solemnly and while he wasn't one to go for love advice, he couldn't help but say a few words to at least alleviate her worries.
"Trust me, Lelouch won't make light of your feelings."
Shirley broke into a smile at his words as they arrived at their classroom, catching the attention of every student. Shirou hung his head down as he quietly made his way at the back row. This was a recurring scene, the look of disdain from his fellow students which only seemed to worsen as time goes by. Despite him being an Honorary Britannian, suspicions of him being a terrorist in disguise.
"Yo, Shirou!" he was broken out of his stupor when he felt a hand over his shoulder. "You comin' to the Student Council room?"
The tension in the room faded out as soon as Rivalz Cardemonde greeted him. He is also a member of the Student Council much like Shirley.
"Is there anything that needs fixing?"
"Actually, no... but President and I have a little wager on who's better at cooking, you or Lelouch." Rivalz grinned at him.
"Let me guess, you bet on me, right?" Shirou gave a deadpanned look at him.
"Yeah, me and Nina voted for you... so don't hold back on him, please?" he pleaded but the redhead only have a sly smile at his request.
"Rivalz, we all knew that Shirou is a good cook perhaps even better than me." As if on cue, a handsome, young man with black hair and violet eyes entered the room. Lelouch Lamperouge, Vice President of the Student Council sat in the next row of seats.
"Come on, Lelouch! If I lose against President," Rivalz lean in and whisper at his best friend. "I'll run around the school naked..."
The bell rang out and all the students returned to their seats. Their homeroom teacher entered with a few announcements though Shirou was paying half attention to what the woman is saying. His mind still preoccupied with the sudden disappearance of Zelretch and his booth. He dug in his pockets and felt the cards in it. He glanced at the teacher and his classmates before putting it away in his bag.
-0-
The classes ended without a hitch as Shirou made his way to the lockers. He found it smeared with paint along with the usual insults about him being an Eleven and such. A routine that started in his first year here in the Academy.
'This is really hard to remove; at least I still have some bleach in my locker.'
Shirou puts in one of his keys and opens his locker chock full of stuff belonging to him and some cleaning materials. In cases like this, he prepared his 'arsenal' consisting of a scrub, bleach and an empty bucket which is to be filled with water.
"Better make this quick or else." Shirou hurried towards the back and started filling the bucket. His phone suddenly rang and he immediately looked as to who the caller was.
'Cécile? Why would she call at this hour?'
"Hello," he started as the soft-spoken voice of his Brittanian guardian talk to him.
"Ah, Shirou will you come here early?"
"Well, I was going to stock up on food but it seems that I'm needed there." Shirou can hear Lloyd's voice over the speaker whose screams can be heard over the speakers.
"Lloyd wants you to take the Lancelot for a test drive, you think you can come over?"
"No problem, I'll drop by soon. I'll see you two later." Shirou was about to hang up when...
"Wait! How's school doing?"the young man scratched his head at her question. He didn't find Cécile's question irritating, it was just repetitive at this point. He found it oddly cute back when he was still a new student here but now he's accustomed here."Shirou? Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine, some random guy gave me a bunch of cards this morning, that's the only strange thing happened for today. Are you happy now?"
"Sorry for that... I'm just concerned about your situation there. Not all Brittanians have the same opinions about the Numbers."
"I survived my first year here in Ashford and I managed to make a few friends here. Isn't that enough for you?" Shirou turned off the faucet and brought the bucket with the phone still in his ears.
"I guess, I'm not used to seeing you around people. I'm really busy with my work here that I can't fit you in my packed schedule."
"You don't have to... anueu. I understand your situation and besides, your parents would prefer that you stay away from me."
Shirou puts down the bucket and pours some bleach in it.
"I believe I made myself clear about my decision. I will be your legal guardian until you can handle yourself." Cécile said with enough conviction in her tone.
"I can't stop you, can I?"
"You can't, young man."
Shirou broke into laughter at her declaration, knowing he is powerless to stop her from doting him. Their relationship alone was enough to raise eyebrows among Britannians. Even their coworkers with the exception of Lloyd Asplund, often talk behind their backs. He only kept quiet, shutting them up by doing his share of work in the development of a 7th generation Knightmare Frame.
"THAT KNIGHTMARE IS ONE OF A KIND! IT'S MORE WORTHY THAN ANYTHING! GET OUT OF THERE, RIGHT NOW!"
Speaking of KnightMare Frames, it seems that Lloyd is nagging another pilot candidate.
"I think you need to calm him down. I'll make some pudding before coming there."
"That's a good idea, Shirou. I got to go now, take care."The line was cut off and Shirou stifles out a smile as he proceeds on cleaning his locker. He won't be able to come to the Student Council room after this. The red-haired Japanese began to scrub his filthy locker, oblivious of the approaching student.
"This is the 8th time this month I've seen you clean your locker. Aren't you gonna do anything about the students who keep smearing on it?" the Vice President, Lelouch Lamperouge, asked as he observed his Japanese friend.
"You do know that I've never been vocal about these kinds of things. If I ever do so, it might even get worse," Shirou threw in a towel into the bucket, compressing it as he scrubbed the paint off. "You and Rivalz didn't attend yesterday's meeting. I'm assuming you're still winning your chess matches?"
"Of course but it gets stale winning every time." Lelouch proceeds to help him by cleaning it also.
"I can do this on my own…"
"I know, I'm doing this voluntarily. We can finish this early if I lend a hand." the young man shot back at his friend as he furiously removed the paint off. "Who do you think is the culprit behind this?"
"I think it's the head of the Chemistry Department. Must be his revenge for the laboratory incident two weeks ago."
Lelouch can still remember it or rather it became the headline of the school papers for a whole week. Some random student played with a few 'nasty' chemicals, causing an entire corridor to be closed off because of the nasty odor. With Shirou being the last individual to enter the said room, all charges were up against him. After some thorough investigation by Milly Ashford and the rest of the teaching staff, the redhead was proven to be innocent.
"The goody two shoes of an Honorary Britannian is a mere façade then?"
"I accidentally sneezed because of the dust in there. If they ever do their homework, they shouldn't mix trimethylamine and hydrogen sulfide since it'll result in a foul odor." he reasoned out, missing out the smirk that his Britannian friend did.
They both stopped, admiring the newly cleansed locker. "I say we did a good job. Thanks for the help, Lelouch." he kept his cleaning materials back to his locker and both teens went to the male comfort room to wash their hands.
"She's really adamant to know whose better at cooking." the Britannian student grabbed a couple of tissues to dry his wet hands.
"President Milly is the overlord of the academy; her words are the absolute order around," Shirou stated as they made their way to the Student Council room.
"She only likes to have fun and mess around with people."
"Somehow, you are the center of almost all her shenanigans. Your fangirls will do anything to have a chance to date you."
Shirou dubbed it as a 'weekly quest' that starts during Fridays. It varies from time to time but mostly involves bringing a certain item to Milly. Whoever gets it first will have an opportunity to date a Student Council member. Being the most popular male in terms of appearance and brains, Lelouch is always the one who gets picked by the girls. Shirley, on the other hand, was too shy to participate even though this was for her sake too.
"I will only date one girl, Shirou." Lelouch firmly declared.
"Nunnally doesn't count as one." the redhead retorted back.
The girl in question was Lelouch's younger sister, Nunnaly Lamperouge, a middle school student of Ashford Academy. He had met her back in his first year where he learned about her disabilities. After that encounter, they often meet at the gardens with her maid, Sayoko who is also an Honorary Britannian.
"Prez, I brought Shirou."
The two made their presence known with the members welcoming them.
"Woah, where have you been? I was so worried that you'll back out!" Rivalz was sweating bullets since the thought of running naked won't do well with his pride as a man.
"Neither Lelouch nor I agreed to this. However," Shirou glanced at the young man with a challenging look in his eyes. "I wouldn't mind taking him on."
"Is that a declaration of war, I hear?" the Vice President rolled his eyes at him.
"This is possibly my only leverage against you since you defeated me 24 times straight in chess." the redhead rolled over his sleeves.
Sparks flew between their eyes and the tension is building around them. The president didn't miss it and slam her hands on the wooden table.
"Vice President! Don't hold back on him, in here there are no friends nor allies!" Milly shouted and the young man sighed at her words. But let it be known that the former and exiled Prince of Britannia enjoys challenges especially when the odds are against him.
-0-
The cooking showdown between Shirou and Lelouch ended in another draw... for the sixth time. The wager between Milly and Rivalz were never carried out and he eventually found out through Nina what kind of punishment they agreed with. If the Vice President were to win, Rivalz will run around the corridors 'naked' though he doubted that Milly would go that far.
If he were to win, the President will reveal on who is her 'secret crush' in the academy. Since their cook-off ended in a draw neither of them does anything. He and the others dealt with paperwork for the budgets of the clubs in the academy. It took awhile and they're not even halfway through, prompting Milly to continue it tomorrow.
He also forgot to inform Cécile that he'll be late too. She might be fuming in anger since he didn't show up and he'll probably be nagged by her. He might as well buy some groceries on his way home.
Shirou found himself on the spot where the Throne of Heroes booth disappeared. He doesn't know whether it existed along with its whimsical owner. Nevertheless, the cards which the old man gave to him was in his possession. Unbeknownst to him, a shadow approached him from behind and tapped his shoulders, prompting him to immediately turn around.
"Looking for me, kid?" he nearly jumped from his place as the booth owner gave off a creepy smile.
"Please, don't do that again." he held his racing heart and Zelretch only pat him from the back, the sound of his cane reverberating around.
"It's been awhile since this face of mine caused such reaction. Maybe it's the eyes…" Shirou didn't say anything since the old man's bloodshot eyes is the one that scared him. He cleared his throat and took out the cards that he had hidden in his bag.
"Here, this is yours, I believe."
Zelretch gave him a contemplating look, claiming the cards from the redhead. It seems that growing up in a world where magic is almost non-existent have affected the existence of Shirou. His time around here is being monitored by the Watcher and overstaying his welcome might result in him being unable to come back here. If he wanted to reveal that magic is real, he needs to break it out to him fast and hope he'll immediately adjust.
"Let's have a little talk, shall we?" Zelretch offered.
The two began to walk away from the academy grounds onward to the streets of the settlement. "So… what are we gonna talk about?"
"Hmm?" the old man looked at him with slight confusion. "Oh, right, let me start by asking… what is real to you?"
His question didn't make any sense but being the polite person he is, he goes along with him. "It's something that my senses can perceive."
"So you define it as something you can feel, see, smell and taste then 'real' is just electrical signals interpreted by your brain."
"…Alright, I don't know how to respond to what you just said," he felt awkward as they arrived at the convenience store where he usually gets their food.
The old man wasn't even deterred by the stares of the Britannians around them. Even the guard whom he had the 'pleasure' of talking to was suspicious of Zelretch. He surrendered his belongings and grabbed a basket to put his items in.
"It's a bit surprising that you allow yourself to be taken in by a Brittanian despite your hatred towards them."
Shirou narrowed his eyes at him, he's becoming even more suspicious and wary of the old man. Nonetheless, he just won't make a commotion inside just for those words. "I didn't hate all of them. There are also good people around their circle albeit, very hard to find these days."
He can still reminisce the first time that he had interacted with the good Britannians in the form of Cécile and her superior, Lloyd Asplund. While the Earl is a bit eccentric, he didn't mind his presence whenever he's around them.
"I see," Zelretch paused, observing the redhead who had quite a few items in his basket. "Tell me, how did your father die?"
Shirou came to a full halt and looked at the old man who is smirking at him. He didn't think too much of Kiritsugu Emiya's death since he died at the hands of Britannian soldiers who shot at him. This event alone made him hate its country and people. If he didn't meet Cécile after that fateful encounter, he would have joined the resistance and resorted to petty terrorism.
"Why would you want to know?"
"Because I believe that dark times are coming and he might have a clue as to how to stop it," Zelretch said and the redhead only gave him a ludicrous look.
"No, my father is an ordinary person…" he reasoned out as he made his way out of the aisles and to the counters.
"Or is he? Have you ever wondered why you and he constantly need to move in and out of the country?"
His words struck something at him. Shirou didn't deny what he just said since he and Kiritsugu did exactly that. They often spend their time going in and out of Chinese Federation territories. He didn't question his adopted father's approach to everything.
"No… I didn't… just what do you know about him? Are you a friend of his?"
The old man shrugged his shoulders at his guess, nonetheless, he caught his attention now. "Hmm… I never once met Kiritsugu Emiya but his name induces fear among mercenaries. My informant told me that his last mission has gone awry and the Britannian government may have a hand to it."
The situation got even more complicated for Shirou. Does it have to do with the so called dark times that Zelretch told him earlier? Now that he thought about it, his adopted father put him in rigorous physical training. He told him about the inevitable invasion of Britannia to secure the largest sakuradite mine on the planet. Was there more to it than just mineral deposits?
"I know you're thinking of investigating now. You might need this in the long run." he gave him the Archer card in which the redhead accepted.
"Wait, how am I suppose to use this? It's just an ordinary card!" Shirou screamed out unintentionally, covering his mouth as not to garner the others yet…
"You finally noticed it then," the old man said, tapping the ground with his cane as the spell he set dissipate. The charmed shoppers go on their routines never noticing they were under his hands. "They were all under my thumbs for awhile now. If you want to, I can make them bow down before you."
Shirou shook his head in disagreement. "There's no need for that, still, how can I know I'm not being bamboozled by you?"
"I made them myself. It's a genuine article, however…" he paused for awhile before making his way out of the store, leaving the befuddled student.
'What a weird guy,' he kept the Archer card in his pockets as he made his way to the counter to pay for his items.
-0-
Shirou arrived at the buildings where their apartment is located. It's also a convenient place since Ashford Academy was right across the street too. He headed upstairs where their unit is and found that the lights outside the doors are still open while the others are out.
The redhead swiped his keycard and opened the doors. "I'm home."
"I'm here!" Cécile's voice came out of the kitchen area and he inadvertently gulped. There was a reason for him to learn household chores, especially in the kitchen. He and Lloyd purposely avoid any of her food since most of it is just repulsive to the stomach.
"Sorry if I didn't make it, Cécile. Paperwork from the Council won't finish themselves so…"
"It's fine, Lloyd was just looking for backup Devicers for the Lancelot," the purple-haired woman said, setting down two plates and the scrambled eggs she made. The redhead examined it, looking for any unnecessary addition to it that could ruin it. "I cooked it as it is, Shirou."
"Are you? The last time I've eaten your food, I had stomach cramps for a whole day," he complained, the last thing he wanted to have next is diarrhea.
"Just trust me on this," Cécile reassured him, taking a bite of her scrambled eggs.
Shirou sighed and decided to give her food another chance, slicing a portion of the eggs as he slowly chews to it. To his surprise, it actually turned out pretty good that he found himself wanting for more.
"This is amazing, no strange topping nor seasoning was added in the eggs."
"I told you so. Its just that I'm a woman and yet I cannot do such mundane task." she held her face in embarrassment since her 'son' was the head cook of their unit.
"I'm fine with it and making meals is not the only thing I'm useful though." he stated firmly.
He was put in the same division as his guardian, overseeing the development of Lancelot, the new 7th Generation KnightMare Frame. He contributed to it by proposing some kind of melee weapon in case the Devicer lost their guns.
"Of course but let's admit it… you have an innate talent in the cooking arts." her words struck in his heart as he nearly choked in his food. He immediately drank water and coughed a little.
"Seriously, you shouldn't say such things…" Shirou muttered.
Cécile giggled at his response since its rare to see the redhead all flustered. Yet again, she didn't intrude too much in his personal life until he was comfortable around her presence. Their relationship for the past 7 years have been pleasant and the same goes with Shirou's relations with Lloyd.
"By the way, it seems that your friend, Suzaku Kururugi, will come here sometime tomorrow." she informed though the news didn't come out as a surprise.
"Yeah, Lloyd is bugging him to come here and test Lancelot for awhile now. His aptitude is top notch compared to mine."
Six months ago was the last time he had seen the son of former Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi.
Their friendship dated back about two years ago when Suzaku was still in the army. Being Honorary Britannians themselves, they were scorned because of their Japanese descent. That being said, he invited him on several occasions in their unit where they became friends.
"Only a 10% difference between you and him but still you two aren't gonna share the same KnightMare Frame." Cécile informed as she began to clear out the table with him helping out.
"Yeah, but I can say that I'm the first pilot of it, am I right?" Shirou said as he remembered the adrenaline pumped in his veins when he first rode it.
"You're right, but are you sure you don't want a KnightMare of your own? We can make some arrangements for some parts," she was immediately interrupted by him.
"Its fine, the last thing I'll want is for your name to be muddle because of favoritism. Besides, Lancelot is yet to improve and you know how crazy Lloyd is to that machine." Shirou began to arrange the items inside the cabinets.
The purple-haired woman sat at the sofa and rubbed her aching shoulders. This day has been hectic one; with the final adjustments to the Lancelot up to the candidates that the Governor General brought to them. Moreover, the Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps will accompany Clovis la Brittania to escort a precious cargo that will be brought to the homeland.
"Want me to give you a massage?" the redhead offered and she nodded in response.
"Shirou, I forgot to tell you that we'll be guarding the Governor General's unit tomorrow."
"Got it," came his immediate response.
"Aren't you going to notify your teachers about this?" she was worried that his grades might slip since he was on a scholarship.
"Its far too late now for that, Cécile."
She felt even more responsible for his education. His grades aren't topnotch but not a laughable one since he takes his studies seriously. She firmly believes that education is important if he ever wanted to be set in life. "Maybe you should leave the A.S.E.E.C…"
It didn't fall deaf to Shirou's ear, pausing the massage he was giving to his guardian. "Will that make you happy?"
"It would be sad for me to see you go but its not like we're not gonna see each other. You're still young and you should enjoy it to the fullest is what I'm saying." Cécile explained.
He can see the look of concern in her eyes, the intuition of an adult has taken over the woman. Nevertheless, one of the reasons why he joined Cécile's unit was to help others in need. Even though it mostly backfires from time to time when Numbers found out he's an Honorary Britannian. The other reason was Cécile herself…
"I still yet to pay you for what you have done to me all those years. I think that this is the only way for me to at least get back to you." Shirou said. "I will continue to work with you."
The Brittanian woman surrender at his declaration. Just like a parent would do, she can only support and help him in any way she can.
-0-
Silence befalls at their apartment with Cécile sleeping in her room. Instead of doing the same, Shirou is still fiddling with a pet peeve of his own. His Maser Vibration Sword was one of a kind on its own since it can cut through a KnightMare's armor with ease. He just found it interesting if he can build a Yggdrasil Drive and use a tiny amount of Sakuradite to it. As it turns out, he can actually, prepping the MSV in its metallic sheath.
Shirou yawned, glancing at the time which reads past 10. He sat at the side of his bed and looked out at his window. Truly this day was an exhausting one, lulling himself to sleep.
A dream…
A solitary soul walked atop a hill.
Countless swords impaled on the ground almost as if they resembled a tombstone.
The gears hung above him, defying gravity itself.
The figure turned around and gave him a challenging look.
"Can you keep up with me?"
He didn't know what those words mean. But he was certain in one thing: the figure has seen countless battlefields.
The earth below him began to shake enough to tumble him down. The swords trembled and made their way towards him, he backed away as fast as he could, however, as far as his eyes can see…
An infinite amount of them was ahead of him.
One by one, they embed themselves in his feet, covering his lower body. He yelled a shout of immense pain as the swords drove their way even further. What's even worse is that he's feeling them inside his own body.
He lied there helplessly, the cold and hard iron now showing up in his arms. He could only stare in horror at the protruding swords that replaced his skin. His face began to twitch as the rest of them surrounded his cheeks, slowly making their way inside his mouth.
"AHHHHHH!"
Location: Pendragon Imperial Palace
An imposing figure stood in front of the temple center together with another one beside him. He was the complete opposite with having the stature of a child.
"What is it, Charles?" the small one asked.
"It seems that the gods have made their move, brother." the 98th Emperor of the Holy Brittanian Empire, Charles zi Brittania spoke with his eyes still closed.
"The gods won't just sit, waiting for their demise to come. We have to search for this anomaly and eliminate it quickly." his elder brother, V.V. suggested.
"No, they'll be far too late to stop us now. The Sword of Akasha is nearly complete and one way or another, C.C. will come here eventually," the Emperor raised both of his hands, marvelling at the elaborate contraption. "We will remove this world of lies and make it one whole."
After watching the three recap movies and the Re:surrection movie, somehow I've wanted to write a Code Geass fic. However, one of the stories I've followed has been deleted by the author. So, figures that I just adopt and add it as my own.
If you had any doubts about my claim, you can directly ask Dante Crailman for confirmation.
As for my other work, its still on the process of writing.